A few weeks escape from winter

[lyndsaye]

So I have just winterized the rv tt for the third time in four days......just making sure...can you tell I'm green?

We live in Ottawa Ontario where -25 to -30 Celsius is not an event, but to be expected  sometime  during the winter.

Say we would want to make a break south in the midst of all the foul weather, I don't see a problem de-winterizing when I get there. Now for a kind of sub question as to where there is. How far south is south enough?  Back to the gist, when it's time to pack up and come back to freezing temps, how do you re-winterize the rv for the trip home without bringing along the compressor et al?

Thanks, Lyndsay

 

[Brother Bear]

pump in the RV antifreeze. My RV has a valve that switches the pump from the fresh water tank to a suction line that I just stick in the pink stuff's jug(s). I also have a valve that switches flow to bypass the water heater. Yours may be different. I drain the water heater and all tanks. I pump in the pink and make sure all my traps are sufficiently flushed with it. Pink may slush but it won't freeze at any temp down to -50F.

 

[RoyM]

Now for a kind of sub question as to where there is. How far south is south enough? 

Thanks, Lyndsay

When someone asks about the household plug hanging under the bumper. ;D

 

[Karsty]

So I have just winterized the rv tt for the third time in four days......just making sure...can you tell I'm green?

We live in Ottawa Ontario where -25 to -30 Celsius is not an event, but to be expected  sometime  during the winter.

Say we would want to make a break south in the midst of all the foul weather, I don't see a problem de-winterizing when I get there. Now for a kind of sub question as to where there is. How far south is south enough?  Back to the gist, when it's time to pack up and come back to freezing temps, how do you re-winterize the rv for the trip home without bringing along the compressor et al?

Thanks, Lyndsay

I've just finished my first winterizing for my RV. I live in the Niagara area and although our temperatures are probably more moderate than yours ... I don't want to take any changes either. I don't have an air compressor that will blow the lines out so I am relying solely on the antifreeze method as explained by "Brother Bear" below. Like you I decided to give it just that "little bit extra" and added probbly way more antifreeze to the system than I needed. I imagine that both the grey and black water tanks have more antifreeze in them than they really need. 

As for how far south you need to go before you can de-winterize?? That is rather subjective. It will depend totally on the weather and how far south you go. I have seen freezing weather in the Carolina's, Tennessee, Georgia. Heck for that matter when the temperature falls below 0? C in Northern or Central Florida they almost declare a state of emergency. You'll have to let Mother Nature decide that for you. Personally ... I'd wait till you got to your destination and ensure that the temperatures are generally above freezing.

As for the return trip ... winterize before you leave. You can take one of the portable containers of water with you if you need ... the rest will be up to your ingenuity.

 

[Hfx_Cdn]

    First things first, we always leave with the coach winterized, but carry a couple of large water bottles to use until we can de-winterize.  That includes using the water to flush the commode, the black and grey tanks will be ok on the way down for a few days until you can dump.
    You might want to bring along RV antifreeze as it can be difficult to find in many areas of the south.  If you use the black or grey tanks coming north, make sure you add antifreeze so that you can dump.  Plus, make sure you can access a dump location when you get home, or else dump in along the way say at a Flying J, and the furthest north along your probable route would be in Pennsylvania.
    As for how far you need to go, is dependent on when you are going, and what you consider acceptable.  When we leave in December or previously early January, we always considered once we were south of Washington, we were out of the risk of any real cold or more than a skiffle of snow.  So, if you are talking of March, the Carolinas would do, but if you are looking for warm beach weather, Texas or Florida will be where you will have to head.  Another consideration is elevation, as even the not so tall mountains of Virginia, the Carolinas, Georgia, etc will all get snow.
    But the good new is that we can make it from Ottawa to Central Florida in a day and a half.  FWIW, we hit snow on the way back from Ottawa a couple of weeks ago.

Ed

 

[Kevin Means]

Winterizing an RV in San Diego only becomes necessary IF the ice in your margarita takes more than five minutes to melt while you're sitting outside under the awning (to keep from getting sunburned). The winterization process involves turning the RV's air conditioner from high to low. (Brrrrr!)

Kev

 

[bill dane]

Have a friend in Buffalo,NY who purchased a MH this past summer.  Said he was tired of the winter storms there and was going South.  A neighbor as how far South he would need to go.  Friend said that he was going to strap a snow shovel to the front of the coach, start driving and when people started  asking what that thing was on the front, he knew he was where he wanted to be!  Good luck on finding a way to escape the cold.

Bill Dane    99  Country Coach  Allure